Some thirty teams have been whittled down to two, and seven more games - or less - will leave only the one standing.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays will open the World Series at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, with each franchise looking to change their fate in one way or another.
The Phillies have been the historic doormat of the National League for over a century, winning the World Series only once (1980) in 125 years of existence and becoming the first franchise to top 10,000 losses last season.
But with a team full of home-grown superstars making the play-offs in back-to-back seasons, Philadelphia can erase some bad memories for both the franchise and the city, which has not celebrated a championship since the 76ers won the NBA title in 1983.
The Rays are in their 11th year of existence but are in the midst of their first winning campaign, somehow navigating the waters of the treacherous American League East all season and outlasting the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series to reach this point.
Also built largely of players from their own system, Tampa Bay has the second-lowest payroll in the game and a World Series win would not only put them on the map as perennial contenders, but would strike a blow for the little guy in a sport that has long been dominated by the big-market teams.
The Rays and the Phillies did not meet in the regular season, but that does not mean they share no connection.
Tropicana Field is host to game one of the World Series because the American League scraped out an extra-inning victory in the All-Star Game in July, an event that players from both Tampa Bay and Philadelphia had a hand in deciding.
Phillies closer Brad Lidge made it through the entire regular season without blowing a save or suffering a loss, becoming the only full-time closer in baseball to accomplish that feat in 2008.
But the All-Star Game proved to be another matter, as Lidge, who had warmed up six......
